Pain vs Gain
Jamie and Scott at the beginning of the adventure...Ready to roll!
The official tour video...Check out the ride!
I picked up Jamie at the airport. He was unfamiliar as I had never seen a picture nor had much else to go on but instinct. I do have some life experience in stereotyping people, so I mustered up my best and started from there.
A new batch of people began pouring out of the airport exit. It must have been his flight. What would he look like? I knew he was Canadian. I knew he was in his twenties. I knew he was an avid dirtbiker. He was traveling alone. I must say that it was not hard to pick out the tall, long haired guy with a Troy Lee Designs moto hat and a backpack with the Canadian flag proudly flopping side to side.
On top of the pass and taking in another view
I waved him down, and the journey began. Jamie checked into his hotel, received a little tour of the downtown area of Cusco, then spent a couple of days acclimating to the altitude.
Day one of the ride came. I picked up Jamie and headed to the international headquarters of MotoMission (better known as my house). We carefully packed for a four day journey through the back country of Peru. One certainly does not want to leave anything out, but the pack seems to fill too quickly.
They said we couldn't make it
Jamie had taken a hard crash just a few days before his arrival in Peru. He was back home goofing around doing wheelies and forgot to cover his brake and went down hard enough to where he walked with a heavy limp. He must have been in pain as he made mention about lightening up the planned ride from a super hard enduro to something more manageable just so he could see how he could manage the pain.
Taking a little breather
There is something that intrigues me about priorities and pain. I watch the pro motocross series and see those guys ride with major injuries. Four weeks out on broken bones, crushed vertabrae, punctured lungs; I cannot imagine the pain. What I can imagine and relate with, is the absolute thrill that we receive when we throw our leg over a motorcycle. That is what pushes us to keep on going despite the pain. We prioritize the elements of our lives in such a way to receive the most value. Pain lowers the value, but the thrill of ripping through the Andes was enough for Jamie to push forward.
I was able to modify the route a bit. The first day was tough for Jamie and a bit too much foot work. Day two, we ended up riding all the way to the jungle and back into the Andes. It was a lot of dirt road, but it gave Jamie a good break from the hard enduro.
Day three was an exploratory day. Jamie was feeling good, and kept pushing forward while we found and explored numerous virgin trails. We rode for an entire day on new stuff. Even I had not even run the trails. Pure exploration! What a thrill.
Check out the video for a good run down of the tour. I like to put together a video of each adventure. It's a great way to show people about riding in Peru. And if that isn't enough, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube Channel at MotoMission Peru Dirtbike Adventures. There are a ton of cool ride vids on there.
A happy fella!
As we pounded out four full days of riding, I had some solid helmet time to think. That is where the pondering of our ride priorities idea hit me. I began to think about the times that I have ridden with a messed up back, knee, or elbow. I thought about the times in my life where I played baseball with a foot cast or my hand wrapped up for my opening tennis match of the season. We tend to have a little bit more in the "tank" so to speak, when a fun time is at stake.
Riding a dirtbike is certainly one of those activities that many people love to do so much so that we overcome pain and discomfort for the thrill of the ride. I see it every Saturday in the ranks of the pros. I see it when I ride with my buddies. I saw it with Jamie. I know that I am involved in a special kind of sport when people are so willing to throw their leg over a bike. Makes me appreciate the times when the wheels are turning.
Until the next one...
Scottiedawg
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